Cladding structures (e.g., bricks, slate, natural stone, simulated stone, tile, clay structures, wood structures, ceramic structures, polymeric structures, metallic structures, etc.) can be attached to one or more surface(s) of a structure (e.g., a building structure, such as a building wall) to provide the structure desirable properties, such as desirable aesthetic properties and/or desired structural properties. To improve the energy efficiency of the structure to be covered by the cladding structures, the cladding structures can be attached to insulative structures (e.g., insulative panels, such as polymeric foam panels) to form insulative assemblies, which may be secured (e.g., attached, coupled, etc.) to a surface of the structure.
Many cladding structures have conventionally been secured to structures (e.g., building walls, insulative panels, etc.) using at least one adhesive (e.g., an adhesive mortar). Unfortunately, the weight of some cladding structures can result in movement (e.g., settling, sliding, shifting, etc.) and/or detachment of the cladding structures before the adhesive completely cures, especially when environmental conditions (e.g., cold temperatures, moisture, etc.) prolong the cure time of the adhesive. To alleviate such problems, separate fixtures (e.g., clamps, through-bolts, metal lath, etc.) have been fastened to such structures (e.g., such building walls, such insulative panels, etc.) at predetermined locations and have then been used to hold and secure the cladding structures in position until the adhesive cures. However, such fixtures can require a significant amount of time and skilled labor to position and assemble on site, making it difficult to cover large areas of such structures with desired cladding structures in a simple, efficient, and cost-effective manner.
Accordingly, there remains a need for new structures, assemblies, and methods facilitating the simple and efficient means of securing one or more cladding structures to another structure.